You are here

Architects Tapped For New School, Other Projects

Architects Tapped For New School, Other Projects

CHAD HUNTER TIMES RECORD Fort Smith School Board members Jeannie Cole, left, and Deanie Mehl vote Monday night, Nov. 25, 2013, to hire an architectural firm to design a proposed high school at Chaffee Crossing.

“The one thing I think we all decided in the end is that this will be a project for the city of Fort Smith,” school board member Deanie Mehl said, “and we wanted, if at all possible, to support our local architectural firms. I think for a lot of us, that was a deciding factor.”

“We spent five days visiting different projects that had been built by the four finalists,” Mehl said. “Every one of those firms would have produced a gorgeous high school or a wonderful fine arts center.”

The other two finalists were Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Little Rock and Miller Boskus Lack of northwest Arkansas.

“It was a process where they took their time to make the right decision,” Galen Hunter with MAHG said. “We feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

The school board’s long-range plan calls for a 1,500-student high school on 80 acres of donated land at Chaffee Crossing. Because of the cost involved, voters eventually will be asked to support a millage increase, according to school officials.

MAHG is partnering with another design firm, WD&D out of Little Rock, on the Fort Smith school project.

“We’re going to have to sit down with the (school) administration and the board to decide what type of schedule they want and what it is they want us to look at,” Hunter said. “Basically, just kind of getting the project kicked off.”

In addition to the school, a future convocation center/arena and fine arts center closer to town are planned.

Fort Smith has 19 elementary schools, four junior high schools, two high schools, an adult education center and an alternative learning center.

Enrollment has grown by more than 1,450 students in the last 10 years. Last year’s enrollment at Fort Smith schools was approximately 14,050. This year’s enrollment is about 14,300, according to the district.

In other business, the school board set a date of Dec. 16 for its next meeting.